Ten years after the initiative was presented, the Congress of the Republic passed the Law for the Disposal and Transplantation of Organs, Fabric and Human Cells.
With 135 votes in favor, the plenary of Congress approved on Tuesday, February 27, the Law for the Disposal and Transplantation of Organs, Tissues and Human Cells that establishes a regulatory framework for transplants in Guatemala.
Since 2014, the Legislative Directorate has received the bill that promotes the culture of donation of human organs, tissues and cells among the population – and 10 years later it materialized in a law.
This is Decree 5-2024 which also regulates the process of donation and extraction and allows Guatemala to receive organs, tissues and cells for transplantation from abroad; however, agreements must be signed prior to that.
The Act also provides for the establishment of the National Transplant Council.
RELATED LIGHTING LECURE
This law considers that it is a donor to anyone who voluntarily offers its organs and not for profit. The legislation also provides for an increase in sanctions for illegal removal and trafficking in organs.
The law prohibits minors from deciding on the donation of their organs.
Marta Azmitia, of the Donaré Foundation, said it’s a leap to the medicine of the first world. It gives Guatemala an initiative we have been working on since 2008. I want to thank the X Legislature because it dared to believe in us and believe in what we drafted and what we did in a group of people interested in making Guatemala a pro-life country.
He added: “The most relevant thing about this proposal is that there will be a single list of recipients made up of all patients who need an organ. It is a coded list in such a way that it avoids organ traffic.
This article has been translated from the original which first appeared in Prensa Libre